admiration, secret
by Marquise de Nile
Summary: [Femslash February 2020] Tsunade/Mikoto. From birth, Uchiha Mikoto was ingrained with a sense of propriety. Until a blonde hurricane descended upon her and swept her off her feet.


Fic written for Femslash February 2020

Prompts: admiration, secret

Pairing: Tsunade/Mikoto

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**admiration, secret**

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From birth, Uchiha Mikoto was ingrained with a sense of propriety. She was raised to be graceful, controlled, refined in every way, not a hair out of place, a demure smile like a mask hiding her true feelings while she served exquisite cuisine and poured drinks. A perfect yamato nadeshiko in the making.

If she used those skills to poison, cheat, steal and murder, all the better. She was a proud kunoichi of Konoha. Everything that made her an ideal future bride, also made her an effective operative. She took her natural gifts—her charm, her pretty face, the tinkling laugh hiding the mirthless, deadly eyes—and used them, no matter how dirty it made her feel. It was for the village. And for a time she was content with the missions she flawlessly completed.

Until a blonde hurricane descended upon her and swept her off her feet.

Mikoto was planted in the inn deep in the Iwa territory, gathering information about their movements and deployments in the war. Unfortunately, her fellow worker noticed her sending off a coded message. Full of worst premonitions and convinced that it was a matter of days before her cover would be blown, Mikoto sent a request for extraction.

Then the Iwa team came for her in a broad daylight, a day earlier than the fastest Konoha team would show up. She ran, with her life on the line abandoning all pretense of ever being a civilian. In her desperation she blew behind her a grand fireball, the only combat jutsu she knew, and started a fire, hoping it'd slow down the pursuing Iwa-nin.

She almost believed it actually worked when they caught her at the outskirts of the village. A wall of rock grew right in front of her, blocking her only way of escape. She turned around, but the Iwa team surrounded her, coming closer. Mikoto was well and truly cornered. Grim-faced, she pulled a dagger out of her obi, determined to make this her last stand. They would not take her back alive.

The fight was short and brutal, the Iwa-nins overwhelming her with their numbers. The dagger was kicked out of her hand and she fell to her knees in defeat as her long, beautiful hair was grabbed in a painful hold.

"Well, well, well, we've found ourselves a Konoha spy. Our torture master will be delighted to meet you, bitch," the team's leader told her and chuckled, his fellows laughing along.

Mikoto was stiff with fear, but she still looked up, locking her jaw and refusing to show any weakness. "I'm afraid I have to decline the invitation. Perhaps another time?" she said drily.

"You have a pretty voice. Don't worry, you will sing for sensei after he burns off that pretty nose and ears!" the man replied with a laugh.

Mikoto couldn't quite restrain her shudder. She glanced around, searching for some form of escape, but found nothing of use. She swallowed thickly and squeezed her eyes shut. If the help wasn't coming, then she had no choice… Her tongue found the false tooth filled with a poison capsule. Just one bite and this would be over…

A fist smashed through the stone wall, a green blur shooting towards the Iwa-nin and punching _straight through his ribcage_. His fingers loosened, freeing Mikoto's hair from the brutal hold. The man died with a gurgle and slid off the arm of a blonde Konoha kunoichi dressed in a standard uniform. No, not a kunoichi—a shinobi, Mikoto corrected herself. A real combat specialist.

The other two Iwa-ninja reeled in shock at their leader's sudden demise, then attacked the woman furiously, but she effortlessly batted them away like weak pups. Except that her hits were absolutely lethal, pulverizing her foes in an instant.

The woman then turned to Mikoto with a concerned look in her amber eyes. "You okay?" she asked, scanning her for injuries. She seemed so bright, like the sun shining at noon.

Mikoto's heart leapt and she nodded shakily. "I… I think so…" she replied.

"Let me check," the woman decided and knelt next to her. She raised her hand, then halted, realizing it was still dripping with blood. After wiping it on the grass, she lightly put it on Mikoto's sternum. It lit up with the green chakra of a medical ninjutsu. "Hmm… Broken ribs, give me a minute to fix that…" the woman muttered with a focused look. Mikoto sighed in relief, feeling her injuries disappear.

"All good. Now, let's get out of here, Princess," the woman said with a smile and got up. She extended her hand to help Mikoto up. The same hand that impaled an enemy, then healed her just as easily, was small and unbelievably soft to the touch. It felt like a hand of the finest royal lady that never worked a day in her life.

"I'm Mikoto. Thank you for your assistance, shinobi-san. I was sure the extraction team would come tomorrow," Mikoto said, remembering her manners.

"Good thing that I was closer. And faster than those slowpokes. I'm Tsunade, by the way."

Mikoto started. "Tsunade-hime of the Sannin?" she asked.

Tsunade laughed. "Between the two of us, you're the princess. Let's get going before more rock-faces come this way," she said and pulled Mikoto along with her.

It took them three days of a grueling travel, narrowly dodging pursuers from Iwa, to get to the nearest Konoha war camp, where Tsunade cheerfully reported her mission's success, handed Mikoto off to the brass, then skipped off to the medical tent to work her magic. Mikoto stayed behind for a briefing with her controller who would then pass on everything to Konoha.

"Good job, Uchiha. Glad to have you back in one piece," the man clapped her on the shoulder. "Go get something to eat. You may report back tomorrow morning for your next assignment."

Dismissed, Mikoto tiredly got up and trudged off. The field rations they had at camp were chunky and disgustingly bland, but filled her stomach. She stared at the empty wrappers, contemplating her next assignment. She knew what that meant—she'd be sent somewhere far away, maybe Kiri border, maybe back to Konoha. Three days ago it wouldn't have mattered to her, but now her mind was filled with thoughts of blonde hair, amber eyes and that cocky grin. She needed to see Tsunade again before she had to go.

Almost without conscious decision her steps took her to the medical tent. There was a commotion inside. She heard familiar shouting and a person was hurled out of it. Tsunade appeared in the entrance, her stern face twisted in displeasure.

"And don't come back here or I'll kill you with my bare hands!" she threatened. The hapless soul that drew her ire scrambled back in fear, then ran.

"Is everything alright? What did she do?" Mikoto asked.

"Oh, they let you out already? Never mind, this was nothing. Just getting rid of an idiot that was going to kill a patient with her incompetence," Tsunade explained. "Stupid council. This wouldn't have happened if passing my recommended course was required for field medic certificate." She looked back into the tent and exhaled. "Damn it, and we need every pair of hands in here."

Mikoto's heart thudded in her chest and she jumped on her chance. "Maybe I could help? I may not be a certified medic, but I'm good with a needle and I can administer first aid," she offered.

Tsunade looked surprised at first, then took her in and grinned. "Wash your hands and you're in. I need an assistant."

Mikoto nodded, doing her best not to betray her eagerness for the task.

The work was bloody, long, dirty, thankless and draining. But there was also something refreshing and clean about it that Mikoto liked. In Tsunade's world, she didn't have to worry about being perfect. Her worth wasn't determined by her beauty. There was no subterfuge, just a simple, straightforward goal—to heal as many as she could.

After making a whole round through the medical tent and attending all the injured, Mikoto took Tsunade outside. They sat on a bench and looked up at the stars.

Tsunade rubbed her temples tiredly, loose blonde locks slipping out of her pigtails. "Some of them won't survive," she said bleakly, then clenched her fists. "If only I've gotten here sooner, then maybe…!"

Mikoto gently took her hand, opened it and then wiped it clean with a warm, wet towel, before doing the same with the other. "Don't beat yourself over this. You're not god, you can't save everyone, Tsunade-hime," she said softly, dabbing her forehead with the towel.

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing under her touch as Mikoto continued to stroke her temples soothingly. "I know, I know, Princess."

From up close, Tsunade's features looked delicate and deceptively fragile, her eyelids smudged with little rest. Mikoto regarded her with admiration, thinking that this woman deserved the royal title bestowed upon her, but not because of her birthright. She was so much more than just a kunoichi, a warrior, a princess or a medic. Mikoto acknowledged to herself that she was merely well-bred, but Tsunade—Tsunade was noble to the very core. Her light was like the sun, shining brightly and pulling everything around into her orbit.

Mikoto chanced a look at Tsunade's coral lips. They seemed soft and open, welcoming. On impulse, she leaned in and kissed them lightly before quickly pulling away.

Tsunade blinked. "What was that?" she asked in wonder, her tone low and breathy.

Mikoto self-consciously tucked a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, I overstepped. I'm just… grateful. In the time you used to save me, you could have healed many more injured."

She shouldn't have done this, she was an Uchiha, Tsunade was a Senju. Even if they weren't both women, what she'd done was completely improper. There may be peace between their clans now, but centuries of tradition and bad blood didn't just disappear overnight. Her fate was already decided, a husband and the children she would bear him, but her stubborn Uchiha heart didn't listen to reason. Tsunade made her feel like no one ever had before and for the first time in her life, Mikoto yearned for something she could never truly have. She didn't want to be refined, but bold and daring. She wanted to reach for the sun and not get burned.

Tsunade looked at her tenderly and cupped Mikoto's cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "Don't be stupid, Princess. You just said I can't save everyone. I'm glad I came for you."

Their gazes locked and Mikoto was transfixed. The amber eyes searched her for permission which she gave by tilting her chin up. Tsunade closed the distance and kissed her, gentle and firm. Mikoto was soaring among the clouds. The kiss deepened, eager lips and wet tongues exploring frantically until they parted in a daze, flushed and gasping for breath.

"How long do we have?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm leaving in the morning," Mikoto told her. Tsunade only nodded. There was no use for sadness and regret. What mattered was the time they had now. She took Mikoto's hand.

"Come with me," she said and led her to a private tent, a luxury set aside for one of the Sannin.

There on a simple pallet, Tsunade made love to her, long, slim fingers opening a virginal passage, her expert touch causing Mikoto to see stars again. Mikoto worshipped her body in turn, fingers and tongue tracing fiery patterns on a golden skin and after they were both warm and sated, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

In the early morning, Mikoto woke up and dressed quietly.

"Thank you," she whispered and kissed Tsunade on the diamond mark in the middle of her forehead, before slipping out of the tent. She could never speak of this, but she would always treasure that one stolen night with the rightful princess of Konoha. For one night, she was not a kunoichi or an Uchiha, she was just Mikoto, the lover of the most incredible woman in the world.

They never met again, but Mikoto blushed whenever she heard a mention of Tsunade. If asked about it, she always smiled demurely and lowered her gaze.

"I just admire Tsunade-hime so much. I'm quite a fan of hers. Did you know she once saved my life?" she then said. Technically, it was all true. Just not accurate. There were no more questions.

And when her son stabbed her through the heart, Mikoto took her secret to the grave.

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AN: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and I'll appreciate your thoughts on the story.


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